Category: Top wine deals

Holiday Wine Sales: Budget-Friendly Tips for Shoppers

Now with the crazy days of holiday shopping hype coming at us from every direction, the major online wine retailers and wine merchants are also doing their best to get our attention. 

Although these Prime, Cyber, Black Friday and what have you holiday sales are now an annual event, lots of circumstances have changed over the last 2 years. People in general are much more focused on soaring prices of eggs and gasoline, or whatever their reference point may be. 

The phrase “sticking to a budget” is now heard in so many circles.

Because wine sales have trailed off over the last 2 years or so, these holiday sales will be closely watched. As of now, wine prices haven’t spiraled because tariffs haven’t made an impact on prices. 

The fact is that there is a glut or over-supply of wines and we have seen the number of wine producers entering the discount world increase as many once solid wineries feel the need to reduce prices to move inventory.

Wine is different from eggs and gas because it is a discretionary product, meaning not vital or necessary. Well, to all but a few of us. If there has been a lesson those in the wine biz should have learned over the last two years as wine sales dipped, it is that non-snobby wine lovers are really no different than other consumers and now realize a need to be extra careful about sticking to a  wine budget. That often means having a target maximum price or price point when buying wine. 

What’s Going on in Online Wine Sales

When previewing t several of the Black Friday deals, I can’t help but notice the many luxury or cult wines that are over $100 a bottle are now being offered at deep discounts. Online seller winespies.com offered the 2020 Caymus Special Selection at $147 ($225 regular price), vivino.com announced a culty Chardonnay for $34.99, regular price $90, while lastbottle.com featured a Pouilly-Fuise for $34, regularly $100.  Another site had the 2018 Beringer Reserve Cabernet at $87.50, roughly 50% off. Earlier this week there was a “sale” of the 2022 Joseph Phelps Insignia, which retails for $350-$400 at $195 a bottle. 

Don’t know about you, but to me even these discounted prices still are not budget-friendly. High ratings and non-stop hype are behind so many of these exorbitant prices.  Some might argue that many wines priced in the 3 digit range are on allocation or enjoy a cult following. Then one wonders why some are offered online to begin with and often at deep discounts. We’ll probably never get a consistent explanation, but that shouldn’t stop us from shopping the sales.

Insider Tips for Savvy Wine Shoppers

One great website to find truly fine and reasonably priced wines is wtso.com  What stood out to me is that its Black Friday sales on November 28-29 has an end of the year Clearance Sale. While it continues with its daily flash sale, wtso has many attractive, highly rated wines in its clearance sale. With a few bottles priced at $11.99, the list is heavy in Italian wines but also has something for every wine drinker. At $19.99 a bottle, you can buy the 2024 Calculated Risk Cabernet, the 2021 Havens Cellars Red Blend, and the 2022 Left Coast Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. An Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel topped the list of the $11.99  specials.

Wine Access is another website that has dozens of great wines for the budget minded Black Friday shopper. At wineaccess.com  the sale works by knocking an extra 20% off their already discounted prices. For example the 2022 Zinfandel from Marietta Cellars is listed for $25, but with the added discount sells for $20 a bottle.THe extra discount is applied at check out.

 Those wines that stood out to me before the discounts are the Three Wine Company Old Vine Field Blend ($28), Meeker 2022 Grenache ($22), 2023 Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc ($29), 2022 La Vigne Paso Robles Merlot ($21) and a San Luis Obispo Chardonnay from Oceano Vineyards( $18). Others are the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Oregon’s Solena Estate. And if you like wines from Australia, Argentina, and France, wineaccess.com has something for you at Black Friday prices.

Another site pushing its Black Friday sales also with a large inventory is wineexpress.com A few caught my attention, especially the J. Dusi Cabernet “The Don” from Paso at $22.49. J. Dusi is a favorite of mine. Also, there’s the Rutherford Ranch Chardonnay for $13.47 and a Reverdy 2021 Cotes du Rhone for $7.47. 

The California Wine Club, one of the oldest, has announced its Black Friday 50% off sale. The sale will continue through Sunday. At $12.50 the 2022 Armida Zinfandel from Dry Creek and the Eden Rift Sauvignon Blanc, also at $12.50 are excellent deals. The full list is worth checking out at cawineclub.com 

When the Dust Settles

These holiday sales will likely be extended way beyond the holidays, but they will end. Most of these are flash sales, daily deals or one-time only sales which not everyone is comfortable with because of the need to act quickly.

A Unique Take on A Wine Club

Excellent wines, low prices, no-nonsense

Looking for “A wine club with “NO commitments, NO fees, NO cards on file, NO limited selections!”? Or how about a winery dedicated to offering you the “Best bang for your buck”? Well, I happened upon a winery that meets both of these requirements. My introduction to the winery was through its press release challenging other wineries to match its record of having every wine produced rated 90 points or higher.

Challenging other wineries was a clever and unprecedented way to get attention, and it obviously worked for me. But the emphasis on a wine club open to anyone and wines pitched for value was also attention-getting. Here was one winery flying way under the radar, my kind of winery. 

But a wine club anyone can join is really not a club, is it?  Could this be some kind of come on trying to unload mediocre wine, or the real deal?

Peirano Estate Vineyards is the winery and, as I learned through conversations and tastings, is the real deal. It also does things differently, goes against the grain and does so without swagger. Better yet, it  tries to make the wine experience uncomplicated yet fun. A small  winery with no hype about icons, no rockstar winemakers, no strict allocations and waiting lists, and no luxury priced wines?

Located in Lodi, Peirano Estate is family owned and it may be one of the oldest with vineyards established in 1885. The family’s history takes you through the ups and downs of farmers before, during and after Prohibition. Check it out at: www.peirano.com

The family farm now covers 300 acres and is in the hands of the fourth generation, Lance Randolph.  He’s the guy behind the tractor, behind the wines and behind this novel wine club.

A Vineyard Guy

Lance Randolph is said to have been driving tractors up and down the vineyard at the age of six. In 1992, he ventured into winemaking, a transition made easy by being very familiar with the family vineyards. Today the Peirano vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Viognier, and Petite Sirah. It also “has perhaps the largest single block of old, head-trained, natural rooted Zinfandel left in the state of California.”  Lance adds, “Rather than destroy these beautiful old Lodi Zinfandel vines to make way for larger yielding, more economically advantageous vines, we have decided to harvest the meager 2 tons per acre production.”

With his viticultural background, that was not an impulsive decision. Lance has explored various training and harvesting methods and the winery’s website explains his vineyard management trials and applications in great detail.  For example: “In the 1990s, Lance was one of the first to implement the Geneva Double Curtain system. This system, rather than using one cordon wire connecting the vines through the center, as done with the bilateral cordon system of the 1960s, splits the vine into two and uses two cordon wires spaced three feet apart. This method is highly advantageous for the estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes.”  Some of the Cabernet Sauvignon is 50 years old, but the Merlot acreage is newer, planted to six clones.

Anyway, after reading the very detailed background, the one point that sticks out to me is that having gone through numerous possibilities of vineyard management, he now prefers to hand harvest all varieties. That is unusual in Lodi or anywhere today.

An Uncomplicated Business Plan

To continue the theme of going against the grain or the norm, when it comes to selling Peirano wines, the winery favors one price fits all. Whether they be white or red, varietals or blends, barrel aged or not, all 15 wines are priced at $16 a bottle. Not only is that unusual, but the winery offers a mix and match case deal  at 50% off, or $8 bucks a bottle. Shipping is a flat rate of $48. So add $4 and the bottle price is still a reasonable $12.

Why $16?

“We chose $16 per bottle because it reflects our goal of offering exceptional quality at an accessible price. Every bottle of our wine comes from estate-grown fruit—grapes we’ve farmed on our family’s Lodi vineyards for generations. The $16 price point allows us to maintain our hands-on approach in the vineyard and winery, using traditional techniques and sustainable practices, while still keeping our wines affordable enough for everyday enjoyment. It’s a balance between honoring the craftsmanship and heritage behind each bottle and ensuring our wines remain approachable to a wide range of wine lovers.”

So no surprise, the wine club is open to anyone, but how did this come about?  Lance explains:

“I started the mix & match case offer over a decade ago when I realized that all tasting rooms were using a subscription model/wine club scenario. Call me old fashioned but I hate being forced to leave my credit card on file and be told what wine I had to try because the winery was trying to “unload” it on me! So I struggled for a long time to find a unique solution that eliminates all the wine club demands. It all came to our customer needs – they want to pick and choose what they want and get those “great” wine club discounts without all of the wine club requirements. Thus – our “family plan” was born and we actively say ‘ditch the wine club experience and try our novel approach to experiencing wine!’

Welcome to the “No Wine Club Zone”  

Many people enter the”Zone” through the tasting room in Lodi. Visitors can select wines from all 15 or 16 wines available at the time. To sample five, the fee is…$10. 

Most Peirano wines offered today are reds, either blends or varietals. Among the whites, the blended “Sea Enchantress” reviewed earlier is my favorite. The Chardonnay will appeal to those preferring the ripe apple and  buttery style a la Rombauer. 

The red wines range in style from simple and approachable to big, bold and cellar-worthy. The Six Clone Merlot stood out as the best red for everyday enjoyment, and the Malbec is also noteworthy in a drink-now style. With the currently available blends, you sense that the winemaker is using a splash of old vine Zin or old vine Cabernet as his not too secret sauces. 

The first wine I tasted that contained some old vine Zin was the Red “Sea Enchantress.” Here’s my note:

Peirano Estate Vineyards, “The Sea Enchantress” Red Lodi (California) The Artist Series 2020 $16

 So in this wine they combine Petite Sirah, Old Vine Zinfandel, Tempranillo and Syrah. Then it was aged in a combination of French and American oak, 15% new. The result? Well, it is not an in your face, power-packed fruit bomb. Dark in color, it has a beautiful aroma of black olive, licorice, with some blackberry and light oak toast. The ripe flavors offer lots of plum and light cinnamon supported by gentle tannins. Made in a big and approachable style, this is an absolute steal at this price. 92

After that initial encounter,  little encouragement was needed for me to explore more Peirano wines. Of the several red blends reviewed here, the differences between one and another were not dramatic. But they are different, and fun to taste. 

The family apparently has some fun with naming their wines. There’s “Immortal Zin” and “The Other,” along with “Sea Enchantress” and “Illusion,” both labels based on paintings by Alexis Randolph, representing the fifth generation. The 3 components for “The Other”  Red are listed as”This,That, and The Other.”  The back label adds the wine is “Sin-sually delicious.”

 The following notes highlight two of my favs. But for reviews on many others:, go to winereviewonline.com

Peirano Estate Vineyards Lodi (California) Old Vine ”Immortal Zin”  2022 $16

Hand harvested from 120 year old, head prune vines, this is an amazing wine to taste. The deep, dark color and concentrated flavors are expected, but the pleasure here is in the ultra-smooth, velvety texture. Blackberry and strawberry are the central themes, but there’s a floral element that elevates the aroma. Some spice and juicy ripe fruit flavors along with an earthy background continue well into the juicy finish. There’s so much going on you aren’t aware that the wine is 15.5% in alcohol. 93

Peirano Estate Vineyards The Heritage Collection, Lodi (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 $16

From 50 year old vines, this wine was fermented by 3 methods: static, cold soak and rotary fermentation. It was also given extended maceration time and oak aged for one year. It opens gradually to reveal an aroma of ripe plum and graphite along with a slight floral and spice touch. Medium full bodied with concentrated black fruit flavors, it comes across the palate as soft and smooth. With integrated tannins, this is one to enjoy over the next few years.The style is big and juicy with good Cabernet aromatics and flavors presented on a solid framework. 92

Sales Alert!

Terre Rouge Wines

On Thursday, August 22, Bill Easton with Terre RougeWines will begin a major sale:

Mediterranean Madness Sale 2024

Starts Thursday, August 22nd Online

Watch for our email Thursday morning with all the details!

So my best advice is get on the mailing list.  

sales@terrerougewines.com

And here are my recent reviews to whet your appetite:

2011 Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Sierra Foothills (California) Roussanne Monarch Mine Vineyard              

 Following whole cluster pressing, the juice was barrel fermented and the wine aged on the lees. Beginning with its deep golden color, this wine was a unique experience.  Rich and deeply concentrated with great viscosity, it delivers ripe pear flavors with some floral notes.  This vintage is maturing nicely, but still has plenty of life ahead of it.  As for a rating, how about rare and wonderful.     97 points Norm Roby 

WINES FROM THE CELLAR2005 Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Sierra Foothills (California) Roussanne  ($75): From the winery’s cellar courtesy of Bill Easton.  The color here is medium yellow but with some lively green glints.  You really have to suspend your instincts about an “old” looking white because this wine is still very much alive.  The intense aroma is a combination of nectarine and candle wax with some citrus and green tea subtleties.  Concentrated with layers and layers of flavors, the wine offers a silky smooth, creamy texture from bottle aging.  It has developed nuances of pear and honey flavors and a touch of almond but it is all seamless and harmonious at this stage.  Finishes long and lively.  What a treat to experience how well Roussanne responds to cellaring.  It held up well when tasted again a day later.  Amazing wine.     98 points Norm Roby

Navigating the Deeply Discounted Wine World

A banner announcing “All wines, 20% off, semi-annual Wine Sale” caught my eye as I drove quickly past the shopping mall. The next day, slowing down, I noticed the store was one of those discount food places.

Probably nothing but wines in dented cans, right?  So I kept driving. A few days later, no longer able to curb my curiosity, I stopped. And shopped. Like really shopped.

The sale was at a Grocery Outlet Bargain Market. The one I visited in Bermuda Dunes was a maze of wine with well over 100, maybe close to 200 wines on display. All in bottles ( no cans) and representing every wine country and many, many regions. Not surprisingly for a discount wine program, Argentina and Chile were well-represented, but Spain and Italy were not far behind. There were several Bordeaux along with the rest of France. California and Washington State had their own sections. One wall was lined with Chardonnay!

My first impression was “What the?”  Prices started at $3.99 a bottle, with $6.99 looking like the average. Many of the labels were familiar brands such as Ravenswood, Pedroncelli, St. Clement, Canoe Ridge, McBride Sisters, and Mercer Estates, to cite a few examples. A Rose from one of the most reliable French producers, Chapoutier, was priced at $3.99. There also was a $5.99 white from Quinta de Crasto, a high-end winery well-known to me which is in Portugal’s Douro Valley. 

Then I hit the motherlode with Pinot Noir from one of my long-time favorites, Sarah’s Vineyard in Santa Clara County. Normally selling for $35, there they were at $6.99.  That first visit saw me walk out with several bottles in addition to the Pinots, and I’ve visited other Grocery Outlets since then. 

I always try unfamiliar wines and while a few purchased were dogs woofing at me, the price range makes these explorations relatively painless.

But why are some wines so heavily discounted?  My best guess is poor marketing on the part of the producer, the sales team, the importer and/or wholesaler. A small winery may need the cellar space for the newest vintage, or it just may need cash flow by selling in quantity. Bigger producers may be discontinuing the product or the label. Whatever, the appeal of the Grocery Outlet is that it doesn’t advertise the way the typical Safeway/Abertson chains do. For a producer, importer,  and wholesaler, selling quickly and quietly has its appeal. 

Since most normal people have not been writing about wines and probably haven’t spent time in every major wine country and tasted literally thousands, for what it may be worth to you, I’m going to share my thoughts and shopping tips here. After that, if you are still with me, the conversation will shift to some background about Grocery Outlet which has almost as many stores as Trader Joe’s but it is less well known.

 Shopping Tips from a Wine Professional

1. Read the back label. The boring flipside with the mandatory details, not the artsy, colorful one with the brand.  For each wine that interests you, if you don’t recognize the brand, look at the back label for the name of the producer. Or the company that bottled it. Both are in the fine print.  Begin by learning the producer’s name is step #1.

2. The back label will also tell you the involvement of the producer/bottling company. For instance,”Produced & Bottled By” is a good sign indicating that the winery made most of the wine in the bottle, rather than buying it from another company. “Cellared By” is less reliable and

“Vinted & Bottled by” is pretty bogus. “Vinted” to me says the wine was bought ready-made and simply bottled.

3. Now to the wine’s origin. Check the place name, the appellation (where the grapes were grown) on the front label, such as Napa Valley or Columbia Valley with the home of the producer/bottler on the back.  If you are looking at a Cabernet from Columbia Valley but see on the back that it was bottled in Napa, Lodi, or Acampo, it is a brand owned by a major company  and the wine was trucked to a common bottling facility. The grapes may be grown in Napa or Sonoma, but If it says “Bottled in Modesto, CA,” the wine is, like Barefoot, one of dozens of brands owned by Gallo.

Yes, wines are transported in tanker trucks and in boats on their way to be bottled. You may  be shocked to know that many Sauvignon Blancs made in New Zealand are shipped literally to a bottling plant in California. Check that back label if in disbelief. 

4. How old is too old?  Making sense out of the vintage date and vintage information. The year, say, 2020, simply tells you when the grapes were harvested, not when the wine was bottled. Most wines are at their best when young, especially whites and Roses. But a 3 or 4 year old white is not necessarily over the hill. A Rose, despite its fragile drink soon image can often be enjoyable 2 or 3 years after the vintage. 

Red wines are more complicated and most are fairly safe up to 5 years after the vintage. My recent experiences involved two reds from 2013. The first, a Paso Robles, was clearly in decline, dull, lost its fruitiness  and a little fizzy. The other, a Syrah from the Sierra Nevada Foothills, was at its peak. It was also an excellent Syrah. And both, to keep us on topic, were priced at $6.99.

But my shopping guideline is to avoid whites and roses that are 5 years or older and stay away from most reds more than 10 years old. Whether offered online or in a wine store, any wine around 10 years of age makes me question where it has been during those years. Was it properly stored? Moved around? Somebody’s reject? Yes, best to avoid older wines.

5. Corks and screw caps become an issue when shopping for discounted wines.. Let’s face it, most wines are displayed standing up and a few end up in the sunniest part of the store. Corks may be traditional but they tend to dry out over time and don’t protect the wine. So you’re better off passing over old wines with corks.

6. If you use the vivino site and take photos of bottles, it is better to use google to learn more about the wine. Vivino doesn’t sell most of these wines so will offer minimal info. Go to google to see if the brand exists, and then look for it at wine.com or cellartracker for its history. If it has one which is a good thing.

7.If you taste new wines with others, don’t give the price paid ahead of time. Both newcomers and longtime wine drinkers have been brainwashed to think price equates to quality. The same people who go to Amazon for the cheapest available product, will be predisposed to not like a cheap bargain wine. 

Kick off 2024 by Getting Naked (Wines, that is)

Kick Off 2024 by Getting Naked (Wines, that is)

Yesterday NakedWines announced that during the entire month of January it has slashed the price of all its single bottles and cases by 50%. And you don’t have to sign up because no subscription is required,

The half-price deal applies sitewide though a six-bottle minimum purchase applies.

NakedWines offered about 500 wines from around the world with the majority from Caiifornia and the Northwest. One of the biggest online dealers, it experienced a few big bumps in the road recently with management changes and lower than expected sales growth.

Though I’m not a big fan of NakedWines with its annoying talk about subscribers as “angels,” I have bought wines and reviewed the website. It claims to have 300,000 subscribers.

Another issue I had was the arbitrary basic prices given since it can come up with any price it wants to. But at 50% off, things have changed.

I’m also quite familiar with some of the winemakers who put their names on the labels. You can read all about the way so-called “angels” support the winemakers, but there’s much better use of time here to talk about the wines on sale.

So I put together a case of wine that I as a veteran wine critic would recommend and would personally enjoy as a consumer. For the 12 wines selected which were said to have a market value of $409.88 my purchase price was $92.38. The $100 voucher offered me helped.And these vouchers are widely available.

Now to the chosen 12:

Scott Steingraber Building Bridges Rogue Valley Viognier 2021 $12.49

Scott Steingraber Building Bridges Rogue Valley Tempranillo 2022 $19.49

Matt Parish “The 24” Contra Costa Zinfandel 2021 $15.99

Dave Harvey Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Franc 2021 $13.99

Michaud Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2021 $10.49

Mick Schroeter Russian River Chardonnay 2022 $14.99

F. Stephen Millier Black Label Calaveras Zinfandel 2021 $11.99

DRG Daryl Groom Reserve Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2021 $24.99

Scott Kelley Oregon Tempranillo 2021 $17.49

Sharon Weeks Cattoo Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 $14.99

Scott Kelley Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2022 $16.99

DRG Daryl Groom Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 $18.49

Again, at 50% off,  my price for these 12 wines is $92.38.

So, as you can see I prefer its red wines much more than whites and roses. 

And I avoid the imports because whether from South America, Europe, or other countries, they are bottled in the USA. 

A Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile or Malbec from Argentina imported and bottled in Lodi or in Napa’s American Canyon? That means they arrived by trucks and boats in large containers and have been pumped and fiddled with. Some I tasted were ok at best, but others were not.

As for other advice, it is better to act quickly because over its history when it runs out of some wines nakedwines then suggests replacements. That can go bad.

Labor Day Sales: We Got A Winner

Just when I was about to give up on Labor Day wine sales, this message arrived:

“Up to 80% off on 250+ wines”

Well, not all wines are 80% off, but there were many excellent deals. The big surprise was wines under $10, but I found many to like for under $20. 

 The winner is  www.wineExpress.com

Here are are my choices for best deals:

2020 Barossa Valley Shiraz $7.47

2020 Château Suau Rose, Bordeaux $7.47

2 from Lodi:

2019 Judd’s Hill Zinfandel $15.47

2018 Berghad Cabernet Sauvignon $13.47

2 Oregon Pinot Noir:

2018 Lazy River Yamhill Carlton, $17.47

2018 Belle Fiori, Rogue Valley $10.47

2 Best Reds:

2019 Chateau Bourdieu, Bordeaux $12.47

2019 McBride Sisters Central Coast $14.47

Browse the list to find those you prefer. Many big names with big price tags are included.

Shipping is free on any 12 bottle order.

My Overview of wineExpress.com

wineExpress.com tries to balance “value and service” which suggests it is neither a giant warehouse nor a down-and-dirty discount site.  It is the exclusive online wine shop partner of The Wine Enthusiast catalog and website. So it is well-financed and has an excellent facility for storage and shipping.

It really leads the online field in big-named wines like Gaja, Dominus, Sassicaia, Shafer, Caymus Special Select, and, yes Perrier-Jouet and Dom…all slightly discounted with the Sassicaia 25% below retail. 

The site works through the usual sorting procedures with click on searches by variety, price and region. It also offers several wine club options and gift packages.

But, and this is interesting. It also sorts the Labor Day list by “Woman Owned” and “Minority Owned.”

One special touch is a series of videos taking you through tastings that are conducted by Josh Farrell, its Wine Director.

He often runs through the daily wine special which can then be purchased. He is one excellent swirler, BTW, and he encourages decanting and/or aerating young wine.

You can learn a lot about judging wine by watching a few of his videos.

And throughout the year this site continues to offer several good value wines under $20.

A Perfect Summer Red Wine and A Real Bargain!

Just discovered and uncorked the 2020 Pinot Noir from Clay Shannon at, hold on, $5.99 a bottle. It normally sells for $22.00.

From Shannon’s Long Valley vineyards in Lake County, this Pinot is being blown out at select Trader Joe’s.

Whatever the reason may be for the sale, a deal is a deal.

This Pinot has been rated 89 to 92 points by the usual suspects.

To my palate, it is a light style Pinot  but correct, with bright cherry fruit and oak spice, well-balanced with a pleasing finish.

My Rating: 91

With luck, I’ll see you at the checkout counter,

Pinot Noir Deal of the Day

Deal of the Day!

Just noticed one of my favorite Pinot Noirs is being offered at an amazing price of $22.

The offer comes from www.wineaccess.com.

Here’s what they have to say:

“Solena Grande Cuvée is the Pinot that led us to rethink the term “quality-to-price ratio” and start saying “quality-to-price disparity” instead. The 2021, from a landmark year, has it all: balance, deep red fruit, cleansing acidity, and a personality that makes it hard to put that cork back in.”

Better yet, here’s my recent review from http://www.winereviewonline.com

Soléna Estate, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Pinot Noir “Grand Cuvée” 2021 ($28):

This may well be today’s best value in Oregon Pinot Noir.  Made from a selection of the family’s vineyards in the Yamhill and McMinnville AVAs, this Cuvee offers a lovely aroma that is at once complex and compelling.  A subtle melange of raspberry, and truffles with hints of earthiness define both the aroma and flavors.  On the palate it is medium bodied with bright raspberry / blackberry flavors that gain in intensity with airing and take you to a big, rich finish.  With light tannins, it can be enjoyed now or cellared a few more years.  It bears repeating: an excellent value.       

94 Norm Roby Mar 21, 2023

End of February Wine Sale

Get ready to cherry pick a big wine sale featuring 150 wines at 40-50% price reductions

And $5 case shipping. 

Highlights: 150 wines up for sale

The website: vintagewineestates.com 

On Tuesday the 28th, Vintage Wine Estates will offer 150 wines from its portfolio of wineries. 

The collection ranges from top notch wineries like Owen Roe, Qupe, Kunde, Laetitia, Clos Pegase and several others that are fully functional real wineries.

And, yes, the portfolio includes your basic supermarket brands like cherry pie and layer cake.

VWE as the company likes to be called, has so far encouraged many of its wineries to function as they always have.

It added a new brand “Bar Dog” that may appeal to some of you.

And I do like to fun/pun it created with the brand, “If You See Kay.” 

Here are the wineries to look for in this sale:

Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and other reds from Red Willow Vineyard

Tamarack  Firehouse Red for $12

Qupe Grenache $18

Laetitia Pinot Noir

Kunde Zinfandel

B.R. Cohn Chardonnay, Cabernet

Delectus Napa Valley

Can’t  find anything you like? Well then, just If You See Kay it!

More on Labor Day Wine Sales

 Labor Day Wine Shopping

As predicted the deals are heating up. 

Just was notified that the 2013 Alexander’s Crown Rodney Strong Cabernet is a special

Holiday offer direct from the winery for $80.

Given the hyper online wine world, $80 seems sane.

Back to that world, here are my top 7 websites and the reasons for their high ratings.

#1 lastbottlewines.com

Based in Napa and having an importer’s license, these folks somehow manage to secure a wide range of wines in all price brackets. 

Discounts are some of the deepest. 50% off is common.

Their strength is California wine, but also amazingly strong in France and Italy.

They also source often hard to find wines.

They don’t solely rely on critics’ scores, and their comments are often amusing.

Frequent all day marathon sales are great buying opportunities.

Best recent offer: Luna Sangiovese Reserve, Napa  2019  $20 (normally $62)

#2 napacabs.com

A major retailer, this site offers much more than Napa Cabs and often comes up with unbeatable case prices on Fridays. 

The wine selection is large and includes all types and all regions. 

But the place to look is its list for free shipping by the case and also by 6 bottles. 

The list of 90+ point wines now exceeds 1000. 

Excellent deals on wines for everyday enjoyment, especially Chile’s and Argentina’s favorite producers.

Free shipping on case orders.

Often the lowest prices online for major brands.

Recent deals: 6 bottles of 2018 Silver Oak Cab Alexander Valley

Sean Minor Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2019 $19.97

2018 D.V. Catena Tinto Historico  $15.97

#3 invino.com

“Curated” is overused by so many others, but it applies perfectly to the wines at this site. Based in the town of Napa, it lists around 100 wines at any one time. But they reflect excellent choices that are not available elsewhere. 

Strengths are in wines from Spain, France, and Argentina with frequent surprises from California.

No crazy BS write ups about the latest cult wine from rockstar winemakers

And, best of all, discounts of 50%-60% 

Shipping rates are usually free for orders of 6 or more. Free for 3 on pricey wines. 

Best Recent Super Deal: Campo alle Comete Bolgheri Stupore 2016 $24.95 (50% off)

#4 winelibrary.com

Headquartered in New Jersey, winelibrary is a major wine retailer. Its current inventory is around 2,000 wines, with 500 selling for under $20 a bottle. It offers online daily wine deals on its cinderellawine.com website. Gary Vee, a techie revered by  some people, is part of the team and works with the monthly wine club program. He also rates wines for the site.

Excellent range of good values: My go-to Bubbly, Segura Viudas is only $9.09 here.

Heavy into French wines, especially Rhone and Southern France.

Free shipping on orders of 3 or more.

Best Recent Deals:

2017 Crystal Basin Cellars Reserve Zinfandel, El Dorado $19.99

2018 Molino Della Suga Rosso Di Montalcino $15.44

#5 reversewinesnob.com

Each day brings a new deal accompanied by a detailed, informative background.

Discounts are attractive (30%-50%) and the overall quality of the wines is high.

The way it works is to order a minimum of 6 bottles, but for the six there is a flat shipping fee of $5. 

3-bottle packs are sometimes offered. 

The offerings truly are for the non-snob. The site also reviews wines from Costco and Trader Joe’s.

Mostly West Coast wines are presented  but even the imports are often unusual in that few other sites have access to them. 

Best Recent Deal: 

Two Jakes 2017 Petite Sirah, Lake County $18.00

Scott Harvey Zinfandel Amador County 2019 $17.

#6 wineaccess.com

Wines direct from the source” is the slogan.  

The mantra is that fine wines are made in small quantities.

To shop for the best deals, we suggest going to the “Under $30” list, or see what the daily deal is.  The deals are available for 3 days or until the wine is sold out.

Shipping is free for 6 bottles or orders of $120.

Strong in Napa wines, its lists include Vermillion, Vine Cliff, Grgich Hills, Dalla Valle and Bevan Cellars.  From other places, there is Foxen Pinot Noir, Bedrock Zinfandel, Meyer Family Syrah, and County Line Rose from Anderson Valley.

Best recent Deal: 2019 Chad Merlot Incline 18 Sonoma Mountain $23.95

#7 wiredforwine.com

A recent end of summer sale of white and rose wines clinched it for me. The 172 whites offered with an additional 10% discount were a wide range of quality imports and US wines.

The website lists unusual and many of the best-known, proven brands at discounts ranging from 12% to 25%. 

Excellent selection of Sauvignon Blancs from around the globe.

80 Cabernets start at $15 and show careful curation

Free shipping of 6 bottle orders.

Best recent examples: 

Talley Estate Pinot Noir 2019 $34.99

Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2020 $16.99